The body makes its own drugs

Hotel view number 8 trillion and 6. Through sheer curtains in Toronto.

Last night on the way to this house concert I played in Bowmanville Ontario Canada there was horrendous traffic. Silly me. Left for the gig from downtown Toronto at 4:30pm. Rush hour Magee. Now I’m the type of dude that listens to one song and one song only 100 times in a row. Certain songs remind me of certain things. Poor Liz Scott who was stuck in the car for this ordeal.

The song? Bob Dylan singing Not Dark Yet from his Time Out Of Mind record. I’ve always loved this tune. It’s haunting and weary and full of trepidation and resignation.

This song moves me- Jimmy Lafave sang a stellar version. I loved Jimmy’s vocals and the way he’d emote. Especially on Not Dark Yet.

So we got to the house concert after listening to Dylan sing the same song over and over and over. It was normally a one hour drive but it took two hours because of traffic.

I was kind of sleepy because my show the night before at The Dakota in Toronto kinda zapped me. I’m getting over this cough and cold that keeps hanging on.

So I figured I needed an energy infusion so I decided I’d cover Not Dark Yet. Dylan does it in E and I like that key for this song. But I like the way the G chord sounds in the first position so I figured I’d capo it up real high on the 9th fret and use the first

position G shape.

I needed the words to be held but it all worked out. Ya see, if you’re ever tired before a show the key is to do something you don’t know. Because then you’re walking on a tight wire with no net below. The body makes its own drugs. Adrenalin! I only got to play the song once before I went on stage because we arrived late. So I did it as my third song. After I played it live for the audience I was in the best mood. That song is magic.

The family that put on the house concert were really cool. They have four boys all with really cool Hebrew names : Erez( cedar tree) Zev (wolf) Noam (pleasantness) and Teva (pronounced teh-vah – nature)

Hebrew names rock! (There’s a song title for ya)

So thanks to all the folks who packed the place last night. Thanks to Aubrey and Koren and their cool named kids. Good times brigade.

Anyways, that’s all for now. This has been a slice of life from the pie of a troubadour.